"五四"與傳統的關系不但為國內學界所看重,而且為海外華人學者所矚目,然而有些問題還是沒有得以深入研究:在激烈的反傳統背后,"五四"是怎樣承擔傳統的?"五四"反傳統的動因與內驅力何在?在世界各大文化中,猶太人與伊斯蘭教的一些國家的民族危機要超過現代中國與日本,但他們并沒有放棄他們的信仰與文化傳統。因此,必須到中國文化內部尋找激烈反傳統的原因,即儒家不以信仰為重而以家國振興為要務,由此構成的傳統士大夫強烈的使命感與憂患意識,才是"五四"激烈反傳統(以及日本脫亞入歐)的傳統動因。"五四"締造的新文化是中西合璧的,作為反傳統動因的傳統語法規則甚至潛在制約著新文化的發展路向。展望未來,隨著包容西學的中國哲學—文化圖式的建構,中國文化復興之日就會到來!

This article primarily examines the cultural undertaking of the May Fourth Movement through analyzing the inner drive for its participants’ fierce rebellion against Chinese tradition. In contrast to China, some Jewish and Islamic countries, having been confronted with more severe national crises since modern times, have preserved their religions and cultures. Therefore, the reason for the fierce revolt against tradition during the May Fourth Movement was deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Because Confucianism prioritized national revitalization over beliefs, traditional scholar-officials were motivated by an intense sense of mission and angst to rebel against tradition. The "new culture" created by the May Fourth Movement was thus a blend of East and West. The structural forces of tradition not only constituted the May Fourth Movement’s anti-traditional motivation, but also latently regulated the development of new culture. With the construction of Chinese philosophical-cultural schema that incorporates Western learning, the revitalization of Chinese culture is expected in the near future.